PB&J Go Together: January 2011

First, I must say thanks Drew, for welcoming me back into the blogging world. I'll be copying (somewhat) your latest blog post.

I guess you could call this my Christmas letter... or maybe just an update of my life in the past year, since it's been about that long since I blogged.

☼☼My Top 10 of 2010☼☼

1. I went to Hawaii in November with my sister Ginni, and my parents.

We started in Kaua'i and then went to Maui. I spent 2 1/2 weeks there and it was paradise. Literally. I don't know if anyone else feels this way after going there, but I feel like I left a piece of my heart there. Whenever I go back, it feels like I am home. I love the people there - they are so friendly, kind, and loving. The food is wonderful - it's amazing to have tropical fruit for EVERY MEAL! We frequented the local farmer's markets and got some great produce, which we took back to our condo and cooked. We had delicious meals every night. Oh! The saimin was amazing!!! Saimin, which is originally Japanese, I think, is a brothy soup with ramen-type noodles (but better), chunks of chicken, beef, or pork, egg slices, sometimes cabbage, and little wonton dumplings. I seriously salivate every time I think of it. There are too many pictures to post here of my trip. So if you want to see pics, check out this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2201569&id=193304870&l=1fdcc8ccc9

2. I moved into my own apartment in September.

It's mine, all mine! Ok, not really, but I live by myself, which I LOVE. It is in Cottonwood Heights, which is a little bit northeast of Sandy. It takes a bit longer to get to work which I HATE, but oh well.

Bedroom

Dining area

Tiny kitchen

Dining/living room

3. I went to Disneyland for the very first time.

Oh. my. gosh. I finally understand what all those people were talking about with the "magic of Disney". I probably sound super cheesy, but it was such a magical place for me. I felt like a little kid, experiencing for the first time. I went with two friends: Rebekah and Dawn, and we had a WONDERFUL time!

4. I learned to love rock climbing.

One of my church leaders had been pestering me to go rock climbing for several years, and this summer I finally went and I love it! It's a rush to climb up a wall face and not know where you are going to put your hands and feet. My super-grippy 5 fingers shoes helped me get up that rock in no time at all!

Climbing at Dogwood

5. I spent time with all the members of my immediate family for the first time in a long time.

With a brother (+kids) in Boston area, parents in Washington, and other busy siblings (+kids), we don't get together as a whole family very often. This summer my parents sprung for a cabin at Bear River (somewhere in Utah). The cabin was wonderful and fit us all. We had a surprise party for my parents, took a family picture, went ATVing, swam, fished, watched movies, and ate a killer dutch oven meal. It was wonderful to be together again.

6. I've had fun decorating my apartment - I've learned that I can be somewhat crafty if I put my mind to it.

Moving to a new place that is all my own has been a fun adventure. I've never considered myself a decorator by any means, (and I still don't) but I wanted to make my new place something I enjoy coming home to and in which I feel comfortable having people over. I've come up with some decorating ideas, especially for the holidays, that have been really cool.

A holiday message.

An old typewriter that really works. I change out the paper every so often for something holiday themed.

Lights and snowflakes hang from my ceiling.

The wreath I made with ornaments and snowflakes.

My table centerpiece.

7. I cut my hair really short.

This may not seem like anything noteworthy, and I'll tell the truth, I'm having a hard time coming up with enough things to make 10, but this is something I had been wanting to do for a long time. It's been cool having a fun hairstyle that I can do a lot with. It looks different every day! (I'm thinking about putting some little pink chunks in it next. ☻ )

8. I went through the temple in January.

For those of you, who are LDS, you know what this means. I had been waiting a long time to receive my endowments and it was a wonderful day. My sister was my escort, my parents came down from Washington, and my sister-in-law and grandpa were able to attend as well. I've enjoyed going back again and again this past year. If you are not LDS (a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), then here's some background information. Mormon temples are sacred places of worship. When an individual is deemed worthy (by an ecclesiastical leader), they are able to participate in sacred ceremonies including Baptism for the Dead, Endowments, Sealings, and Eternal Marriages. There's a lot more information about it here at Mormon.org.

Jordan River Temple (Utah)

9. I swam with sea turtles and dolphins!

While in Hawaii, we did a lot of snorkeling. We went to a place on the north shore of Kaua'i called Tunnels, which is known for having a lot of interesting fish and TURTLES! We weren't disappointed. I swam right along with several turtles. Then, on Maui, we read about La Perouse Bay, which is on the southernmost tip. It is known for its clarity, fish life, and DOLPHINS! The guidebook said that spinner dolphins sometimes come there around 7 am and circle around in the bay. So we got up super early one morning, drove to the spot and waited for the dolphins to come. They didn't disappoint and were jumping out of the water! We grabbed our stuff and swam out to get a closer look. We had been warned to stay about 10 feet away and to swim in the same direction, on the side of them. Several were rather curious and one came up right next to me - I could have reached out and touched it. Interestingly enough, we went back there another day to watch for dolphins, and they never showed up. How lucky I got to see them the first time!